Hatsuyuki Ganbareru (Hatsuyuki Will Do Her Best)
by syaondri
Summary: The side story of "It's Our Naval Base" which involves the Fubuki Class from Admiral Hayabusa, what are their story from the First Raid Accident and what actually happens in this universe of Kantai Collection I've made?
1. I'll do Better Tomorrow

The Hatsuyuki in this story is the Hatsuyuki whom were placed under admiral Hayabusa's command.

You might want to read the first story on the "It's Our Naval Base" though nothing from the main story would have any effect for the story as of now since this happens pretty far before the main story happens  
>(sorry for the late disclaimer part ;-; I always forgot to add it)<p>

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><p>"Well, you see, the thing is, the rift toward the enemy could only hold light fleet." The Fubuki class leader said as she leads a group of six destroyers. Behind her was the rest of the Fubuki Class from admiral Hayabusa's destroyer squadron.<p>

"Eeehhh…" Hatsuyuki whine, "Wait, that means… we got no fire cover from battleship!?" she continues.

"Well you should've known from the amount of destroyer crumpled in this mission."Murakumo keeps her cool as she puts her skeptical face

"This is worse than I'd thought…" Suddenly Hatsuyuki launches herself right in front of the other as she blaze up her guns. Bwosh, two of her shots went right on the left and right of a cruiser, she then focus onto her weaponry with a glaring eyes of death... Bam! the third shot critically hit the cruiser. The other two cruisers whom were left in awe finally decided to return fire. But Hatsuyuki's movement was too fast for them, none of their shot even scratches her. Meanwhile, the other destroyers of Hayabusa's fleet tried to follow Hatsuyuki's lead.

Fubuki starts with a shot followed closely by Shiratsuyu and Miyuki.

"I don't know what happened to Hatsuyuki, but this seems great!" Miyuki said on her energetic tone.

Fubuki nods in agreement to the statement, "but let's not push our limits too hard now ok?"

Shirayuki hums an agreement, "Un. Though, Hatsuyuki shall also be very careful now, she's heading right toward the flagship on her own..."

"Hmph, that mindless one." Murakumo says as she zigzagged her course to avoid some of the fire the enemy destoryers had spew.

"I'll take care of her, the other shall cover me and Hatsuyuki." Fubuki takes the lead once again and starts to zigzags with the other before the formation splits.

"Roger." says the other almost at the same time but with assorted kind of speech.

Miyuki starts with another shot directed at the damaged Destroyer which splits up the poor things in two by a majestic dark greenish colored blast. Upon seeing that, the other enemy destroyer take a leap back while keep returning fire toward Miyuki. Shirayuki whom had circled the two destroyers starts opening fire from their flank, damaging one of the destroyer and further lead them away from Fubuki.

Meanwhile, Fubuki keeps getting closer to Hatsuyuki whom is under fire by two cruisers at once. Despite being in a pinch, Hatsuyuki keeps charging toward the flagship of the enemy's fleet while making sharp turns here and there to avoid their attacks.

"Hatsuyuiki fall back!" Fubuki shouted.

"No... we're not going to make it even with this." Hatsuyuki said a sentence which doesn't seems to be a reply to Fubuki's order

"What do you… Hatsuyuki!?" before Fubuki could finishes her word, Hatsuyuki had already blast through the second cruiser's barrage and enters their torpedo range. Easily, she dodges all of the torpedoes and head straight toward the flagship.

"Why… WHY CAN'T IT WAIT!" Hatsuyuki's shout was muffled by the sound of the almost point blank torpedo exchange between her and the enemy's flagship cruiser… BWASH! The sea's water was poured onto the sky as the five other destroyer could only hoped to see the result they wanted… but what appear next is just smoke…

"H-Hatsuyuki!" Fubuki dashed toward the site as she launches several torpedoes to drive away the remaining cruiser, Murakumo and Isonami decided to further shoo the cruiser away.

"Eheh.." Hatsuyuki spit out a laughter to which a compass girl, with huge yellow chick in front of her, pouts, "thanks." she exclaims as she raised her right thumb before the fairy sighed, shook her head and vanishes back toward the flagship, Fubuki.

Realizing that a compass girl had just returned from where Hatsuyuki was, Fubuki traded her worried face with a sad one. She ran faster toward the place where Fubuki was and there she is, right besides her was the enemy's Cruiser whom is sinking. Seeing the scene, Fubuki fly toward her. Fubuki cried for a second on Hatsuyuki's shoulder before she puts her serious face with a slanted eyes and a trembling mouth.

"D-Don't do that again!" she hits Hatsuyuki's head softly, "Ok?"

"Noo, wanna go home… going to shut myself at room." The heavily damaged Hatsuyuki says.

And so, as was probably expected, the fleet returns home the next day. Hayabusa prepared for a debriefing of what happened during the mission.

"So, basically Hatsuyuki here got herself the most damage to the enemy though her recklessness brought her into this?" Hayabusa reaffirm.

"Yes commander… but I guess it's not entirely Hatsuyuki's fault the rift itself was opened to a wrong…" Fubuki tried to cover for her comrade, but..

"I'll do better tomorrow… so, could you please let this one slide and let me rest?" Hatsuyuki said almost at a monotone voice.

"H-Hatsuyuki…" Fubuki whispered, to whom who doesn't really listen to it.

"Very well, it's my fault to give the order of a three days mission on Friday I guess, as the commander I should have picked a better time for my underlings too yes? After all, you were sent to a wrong rift node, so you're going back like it or not. Anyway, I believe I can postpone the mission as the threat should have been reduced thanks to our mission today. But in an event of a greater scale threat, I hope you can take that aside ok."

"Yes." Hatsuyuki says as she quickly leaves the office.

"Hatsuyuki!" Fubuki tried to stop her, but Hayabusa held the destroyer's shoulder and shook his head.

"Leave her be, let's just prepare the report to HQ for now."

"Ah, but…" Fubuki would like to rebut the word, but seeing her commander's eyes she could just sighed and smiled, "Yes sir." She added and start making the report.

Later, early Saturday morning at the reserved repair dock…

"Hehe… ehehehe…" Hatsuyuki hold her laughter before, "Ahahaha... pffftttt…" a burst of laughter came out of her mouth which she muffled the rest. In front of the destroyer was PC set which she bought to the repair pool. "World Wide PVP Event" was clearly written on the screen and a result showing [The First Snowknight] as the event's MVP can be clearly seen.

"Ok girls it's this place again. Listen closely this time." Fubuki lead as she brief her comrades once again, "A rift toward the area of Kis Island have been created, we shall not loss this opportunity!

"Yes Ma'am!" said the rest of the fleet.

"Enemy sighted!"Shiratsuyu's exclaim was followed by the fleet's disperse and several splashes from the cruiser's guns.

"Everyone, engage!"

…

"So uh…" Hayabusa seems to be left speechless as he sees his fleet return.

"At least we bring some coins back right?" Miyuki said as she raises her right thumbs up while her left hand is holding a kind of treasure map and a chest.


	2. Game Addict (Part 1)

ah mai bad forgot the disclaimer again ;-; I was actually posting these while making my little thesis to graduate so I hope you guys would forgive me somehow for forgetting the disclaimer part ;-;

second installment, I guess I'll be concentrating on this one first since it'll collide with the main story at one point~ I'll continue the main story, the "It's Our Naval Base", after the story collide~

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><p>Hatsuyuki is looking pretty serious as she looks at her laptop's screen. Sitting on her bed, she bits her upper lip as her right hand holds the mouse tighter. Her left hand on the other "hand" is typing something on the keyboard with a pretty decent speed while her right hand plays with the mouse attached to the laptop as if she's controlling the mouse to escape from a cat.<p>

"Hey Hatsuyuki.. it's almost 12 PM you know…." Miyuki, her roommate who sleep on a bed right across her said with her eyes almost closed, "We'll be having morning practice tomorrow, don't forget." And as the sentence was done, so does Miyuki's day, a soft snore could be heard from her direction shortly after.

Though, not that Hatsuyuki cared. She's too concentrated to even hear a bomb exploding beside her. Her movement keeps getting faster until…

"Haaahhh…" Hatsuyuki rolled backward, "Why is it so difficult … I'd better practice more…." With that, the destroyer leap out of her room and into the gym… there she tirelessly uses every single appliance she could meet. She's so fired up that she didn't realized that the base's Commander, Haybusa, was there.

It took half an hour before she feels her exercise was sufficient. She then back with her game. It was two o clock when she finally succeed her game and sleep with a face full of contentment. But that face changes drastically the next morning.

A girl is checking on Hatsuyuki's condition, she's pretty much on her 20th age with a long blood red hair which knotted right behind her head making a chignon. She's using a white headband decorated with a red cross to hide her chignon, a white lab coat as a cloth and a white skirt with another Red Cross sign on its right. She's using electricity from her rigging to activate some medical appliances, there is two part of her rigging, the left one is where her fat bridge which looks identical to a civilian cruise liners', while the right one is where two smokestacks with huge red cross sign is, her rigging's color scheme is mostly white with some green and red lines.

"Non bene…" the girl says 'not good' in Italian.

"Wh-what's wrong?" Miyuki tried to see her friend by pulling one of the girl's smokestack aside.

"Ehi! La dama! That's my only operating smokestack!" she says as she sighed before moving away so that Miyuki could see her friend, "well… not really that bad though… she was just having a fever, if this was in a game she'd probably had this red face icon or something."

"But is she going to be ok?" Miyuki asked.

"It's pretty obvious that she couldn't join in our practice this morning for the least, right?" Hayabusa said as he entered the room with the rest of the Fubuki class

"Ah commander," Miyuki and the hospital ship raised a salute toward Hayabusa, "si…" the hospital ship replied, "but I still have to check her thoroughly for detailed result." The Italian girl said.

"H-Hatsuyuki!?" Fubuki stormed the bed where Hatsuyuki was, "Hhh… this girl…" Fubuki shook her head when she know her friend is still breathing.

"*yawn* what, so, we're woken up 4 am just to see this Hikikomori bedridden? Isn't it her very own fault?" Murakumo said before she yawns once again, "It's not good to intercept a lady's sleep you know."

"W-ell even though we saw it coming, I really think this is a b-big news Murakumo…" Isonami says.

"Nevertheless, with Hatsuyuki unable to do the practice, we'll have to pick another ship to take her part on the practice." Shirayuki exclaims, Hayabusa nodded to that.

"I believe we can leave Hatsuyuki to your care right Asahimaru?" Hayabusa said,

"Lascia fare a me, tutti! Leave it to me." Asahimaru says as she raised her right thumb.

"Well then, let's make a meeting for now." With Hayabusa's word, everyone leaves Hatsuyuki's barrack and prepare for the day.

"They had all gone?" Hatsuyuki ask, she had been awaken from the beginning but decided to close her eyes.

"Si, we're both alone here." Asahimaru claims, she's currently preparing a wet towel before she put it on Hatsuyuki's forehead.

"Ahh… even the stupid can catch cold huh…"

"if this is all about proving that theory, I'll euthanatize you." Asahimaru said as she gets a needle.

"Anghh I was just saying…"

"Really though, you played too much of that thing… don't you ever had the thought to stop?"

"This might sounds strange, but I'd say only death would stop me."

"Hhh… well, just remember, I don't think he'd be happy to see his hobby destroys you." Asahimaru says as she tidy up the appliances she used, "I'll be making a soup, you like the usual?"

"Yeah." Hatsuyuki says shortly.

It was noon when the fleet from HQ arrives for a practice. After a small briefing about the practice, both fleet heads for a head on battle. Both teams used line ahead formation and sailed toward each other.

"Remember," Miyuki, the flagship of the defending team said, "we'll just be giving a 'real-ish' combat to the newbies, so take it easy ok?"

Behind her, Fusou, Yamashiro, Murakumo, Isonami and Atago replied with a "Roger!"

With that, the Fusou sister flew their trustee floatplane to the sky. It didn't took long before the recon ships gathered the enemy's information. A Nagato as flagship, Mutsu, Takao, Atago, Maya and Choukai.

"Arara" Atago's leg trembles, her hand automatically stretches out to find balance.

"Atago, are you ok?" Miyuki asked as she glanced at the Cruiser, "Do I need to tell the compass girl to recalibrate the Z particle?"

"Unm, no, I'm fine! Straight ahead!" Atago says.

"Ok then, we're closing on the battleship's main canon's range, destroyers follow me, Battleships, prepare for first volley, the Heavy Cruisers shall hide behind the battleship while firing some cover and get to torpedo range. Group split up!" right after Miyuki said that, the two Fuso sisters' canons glare at a deafening blast followed by a stray 46 cm which landed pretty far from Atago, the enemy's floatplane must've saw them too.

Miyuki and the other two destroyers spread as they slip through the barrage from the four cruisers. Miyuki intentionally missed her shot toward Maya.

"Oi! Don't miss it intentionally!" Maya looks angry at the fact that Miyuki's shot is too far off for a shot fired at a close range.

"A-ahah, looks like they don't like it." Miyuki laughs, "We'll be serious from now on then!" she shouted the last part.

"Well, looks like your guesses' right, should've done that from the beginning though." Murakumo sighed before she said that.

The three destroyer then quickly zigzagged the shot fired back by Maya, though inexperienced at real combat yet, Maya's shot was pretty close to Miyuki, but Miyuki's route was right toward the enemy's Takao's shot and rendered her engine unusable for a second.

From within the smoke of Miyuki's engine, came out two fires which hit the enemy's Takao and Atago, the damage was not really that much though. After gaining the sight of the other two destroyer, the enemy's Takao and Atago replied with several barrage from their secondary 15.5 cm. but none of the shot was a hit, most of them just went right beside either destroyer or scratches their rigging.

When they're close enough to use torpedo, Maya suddenly barrages them with her main cannon and hit Isonami's leg causing her to fell face first to the sea before got hit the second time by Maya's 15.5 cm barrage. The Atago sisters smiles proudly, but they didn't realized that while sliding on the water, Isonami had launched eight torpedo salvos at the interval of 1 second toward Takao while Murakumo had came close to Takao.

Murakumo slipped pass through Maya's secondary canon and managed to land two point blank shot, one after another, toward Takao's face before she stabbed Takao's stomach then kicked it while releasing four torpedo salvos toward focused on Takao. Almost at the same time a torpedo managed to land a blast bellow the enemy's Atago, capsizing her to her left, right when she was about to stand, two other torpedoes blasted right bellow her…

"…." Atago seems to hold her mouth as she fell into the surface, she puked right after.

"Aww that's gross.." Maya said…

"Unghhh…" Atago could only hold her tears when suddenly, BLAST! A five inch ammo hit right on her face, sending the Cruiser feet away while bouncing off the surface several time before landing head first, she seems unconscious.

"Wha… who was that?" Maya shouted.

"Abyssal fleet!" Miyuki tried to warn the cruiser but it's a bit too late…


	3. Game Addict (Part 2)

Phew barely managed to finish this one ^^;;; I was actually doing my little thesis for my bachelor program but I'll try not to make it a reason not to post at least once a month... hopes you guys could bear with my upload rate ;;;-;;;

o yea, actually I've been go on and made several other chapters 'v' so don't you worry, I will post the other chapter as soon as possible if I had the time, or at least next month... unless something happened.. but let's hope nothing bad happens...

anyway here goes, hope you enjoy

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><p>The siren on the naval base rang loudly, seagulls flew away in terror and smokes could be seen from the middle of the ocean. Hatsuyuki had just finished her bowl of soup when that happened, she almost chocked on that last sip. Quickly, she put the bowl aside and storm the only door of the infirmary. But there, stands the hospital ship firmly crossing her hands in front of her stomach and glaring death upon the destroyer.<p>

"Where do you think you're going." The hospital ship said.

"Th-there… abyssal!?" Hatsuyuki pointed at the infirmary's window which vaguely painted out the battle scene happening afar.

"and what are you going to do with it!?"

"Go and…"

"and kill yourself!? Fessa!" Asahimaru knocked the floor with her heel pretty hard, "You know what will happen if you go there now?"

"No compass protection..?"

"Yes, which means…."

"I can be sunk without changing node."

"And, in this condition, I'd be thanking god should you return in heavy damage."

"But then…"

"We could only trust on those girls right now and hoped for the best." Asahi said

"Isn't there really anything we could do to help?"

"Well, you can help me prepare the repair dock if you felt in shape."

"ok then…" and with that, the two head straight toward the repair dock. On their way there, they could vaguely hear canon shots from afar and with every glaring sound of it heard Hatsuyuki's body shivers.

It took only about couple of minutes for them to walk toward the repair dock, but for Hatsuyuki, it feels like an eternity. The repair dock is pretty much like a normal dry dock, but the girls on the base made it looks like an open hot spring bath since unlike regular ship, all this girl needed when injured is to sit tight and relax inside the modified water pure from the abyssal fleet's Y particles.

The dock itself is now full of small fairies both in land and on a huge crane. They seems to be busy preparing the dock for the shipgirls. Some of them are checking the Z Particle charge on the water that is going to fill the dock while other are checking the crane or transporting whether steels, fuel or ammunition toward the dock.

"Now, to recheck the dock of Y particle remnant… I'll be checking the two over here, you should go and check the one over there." Asahi said before she jumped toward the bottom of the dock which appears to be not too deep, its depth is about a quarter of Asahi's height.

"ah…" Hatsuyuki replied lazily before she proceeds to go to the dock that Asahi pointed. There, a fairy gave her a box with two antennas popping out of its sides. There is a pair of needle and its dial which shakes pretty slow as Hatsuyuki points it to the edges of the dock. Suddenly the two needle fluctuates faster as she points the machinery toward the dock's side which is the closest to the sea.

Seeing that, the fairies responsible for that part of the dock bowed their whole body down toward Hatsuyuki. Hatsuyuki sighed while the fairy uses a kind of electric torches which blew dark gooey flame as it touches the part Hatsuyuki pointed.

"Looks like this dock's clear…" Hatsuyuki said after she checked the dock she's inside.

"Go get the steel and fuel then, we'll try to minimize at least one minute of the repair time." Asahi said as she tends the dock she's in.

Hatsuyuki took some step to get a bucket full of steel while the fairies operates the crane to get the bucket of fuel right besides the one Hatsuyuki took. Everything seems to be fine until Hatsuyuki walked sloppily ahead, making the steel on the bucket rustles toward each other. She'd fall with the bucket should Asahi didn't reacted fast enough to catch her.

"Oh bother…" Asahi said before she took Hatsuyuki to the shade of the indoor repair hangar nearby, "You wait here, I've got to finish the dock check for now ok?" but Hatsuyuki had no strength to answer that request so Asahi decided to just go back tending the repair dock.

The two went silent afterward, until Asahi starts checking the last dock… "You know, I've always asked whether I was of any help toward the fleet. Being a hospital ship who can't actually repair my friends directly, I kind of think I was good for nothing." That sentence broke the silence, Hatsuyuki could only listen to the word as she tried to stabilize her breath, "once, I kind of wanted to go out there and somehow help those on the frontline against the abyssal. But then I realized, if I did that, I would only drag the other. I know this is the first time for you to feel this, but sometimes, doing nothing helps more than if you pushed yourself too much Hatsuyuki."

"thanks…" Hatsuyuki said, Asahi starts to smile when she heard it.

"Well then, I think we're done here, now you'll have to rest up on the infirmary again." She said as she carry the little destroyer with her two hands.

"A-anghh I can walk…"

"Shh… come now, the better you rests, the faster you'll go to the frontline again kay?" Hatsyuki could only grumbles to that.

Suddenly… blast! A 16 inch shell rips through Asahi's thin armored hull before it slam to the ground scattering wild shrapnel and sending the two girls several meters ahead of them.


	4. Game Addict (Part 3)

angh... was I late? yea I guess I did,.. D: sorry for the late publication ;-; as an excuse, I'll be publishing one LOOONNG chapter for next month, I'll try to publish it not longer than the second week of next month so... would you guys forgive me with that? please? ;;;vvv;;;?

anyway, hope you enjoy!

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><p>Quickly, the destroyer tried to stand on her feet, her vision is still blurry but the damage caused by that shell told her that some big gunned abyssal ship is nearby. Usually, her reflex would tell her to equips her gun and return firing, but no, she couldn't really make sure where this enemy is… the only thing she could do at this time was…<p>

"Fubuki.." Hatsuyuki coughed several times before she could continue, she managed to form her hull and used the communication set inside to communicate with the other, "Fubuki you're still there right?" she coughed once again, "I.. I'll try to take Asahi to a safer location… you girls cover me.. okay?" even though she got no response, Hatsuyuki proceed as she reported.

Quickly, she carried the hospital ship on her back. And start moving her leg as fast as she could. Faintly, she could hear a canon blast from afar. She hoped that it was her friend coming to her aid, but alas, another 16 inch bullet flew right on her right not long after. Blast! Ricochet of broken steel both from the shell and the deck scatters in front of Hatsuyuki and scratches her skin. She tried to ignore the pain as she keeps her two legs moving toward the back of the indoor dock's building. She almost reached it when suddenly another salvo landed right on her right leg sending her and Asahi whom is on her back flying several meters ahead. Hatsuyuki hit the steel floor of the floating dock hard with her hip. Hatsuyuki gasp in pain before she coughed and tried to roll her body into an irregular circle. But she couldn't feel her leg…

"Fubuki…" a cough paused Hatsuyuki's sentence, "I need… cover…" suddenly her eyes glared in agony, this event reminded her of something… "N-no… no… I don't… want it… to end like this again…"

"Then rise up!" suddenly, a voice with a thundering voice glared into Hatsuyuki's ear, "Don't accept it, fight it till the end!"

"C-commander?" Slowly Hatsuyuki could recognizethe silhouette standing in front of her, it was indeed her admiral who squats besideds her, "C-commander what are you doing!?"

"Saving my Family." He said before he took the destroyer on his right shoulder and drags Asahi using his left hand. Though Hayabusa is not a weakling, carrying two ship-girls at once is proven to be a not simple task. the three of them creep slowly toward the "safer" place behind the indoor dock.

"I'm sorry…"

"Save that for later when we're out of this." Hayabusa said without stopping his movement.

"what about the others…?"

"They should be…" suddenly a canon blast could be heard, Hayabusa starts to run as fast as he could…

"Commander!" Blast! Another shell hits the deck pretty hard sending rubbles of steels all over the place and pushed Hayabusa back, luckily for him Hatsuyuki pushed herself in front of him, absorbing all of the rubbles with her own body. But then, another canon blast could be heard… "Is… it the end…"

"Don't give up just yet Hatsuyuki." Soon, a blast occurs, but this time it was on the sea, "Also, have more faith on your sister ship wouldn't you? You girls had been fighting together since the very beginning now after all, right?"

"U-umn…" Hatsuyuki nods…

"Confirm on the sinking of enemy Battleship! Ru-Class!" Miyuki's voice could be heard over the radio, "Heheh that's Miyuki's special for her."

"Well, that ought to give the newbies some experience I guess." Murakumo said.

"everyone… thanks…. Sorry…"


	5. Bon Fire

Hello again~ and yea here's the lengthy one episode that was supposed to be two chapter... hope you guys come to like it :D

also... I had low blood pressure yay... eheh don't worry though, this is not the first time, so I've been used to it, and I'm feeling better already after a bit rest and workout~

so yea, enough talk I guess, let's get down to business.

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><p>It was a sunny day on Hayabusa's naval base. Hatsuyuki had just woke up when the sun rise from the east. She sit on the infirmary's white bed as she scans her surroundings. She's pretty much surprised to see Asahimaru lying on the bed besides her.<p>

"You're awake?" Fubuki's voice could be heard from outside, it looks like she's peeking from the window, "Can you walk?" She continues without waiting for the answer of her previous question.

"I think…" Hatsuyuki said.

"It was that day… today..." Fubuki's word seems a bit jumbled, "We should pay him a visit you know… I've brought some flower too."

At first Hatsuyuki replied with a nods, but she realized that Fubuki can't really realize that sign of agreement "Yea… I'll go…" she finally answered. Hatsuyuki gets up of her bed, trying to stand firm on her feet, her low blood pressure, or at least that was what Asahi wrote on her diagnose notes, seems to have yet recovered.

"Don't push yourself." Fubuki who had just came inside rushes toward her sister ship, Hatsuyuki nodded her head to answer. Fubuki quickly carries Hatsuyuki's right hand on her shoulder. She then helps her walks outside the infirmary where the other Fubuki class had awaits for their arrival.

"Heheh, so she's all set?" Miyuki's question sounds more like a statement with her tone.

"Hmph, she looks pretty fine to me from the beginning." Murakumo said without even bothering to glance over toward the two.

"At least, we could get with our plan on going together now." Shirayuki cupped her hands in front of her chest.

"Y-yes, pretty much what Shirayuki said I guess…" Isonami said, though she can't really be sure whether to smile or not, she finally added a stroke of warm smile on her face.

"Well then, looks like everyone's here. Let's go!" Fubuki said as she punches her right fist straight to the air.

"Yeahahah!"

"Mmhmm~"

"Y-yes!" the three Fubuki, starting with Miyuki, Shirayuki and followed by Isonami replied with the same gesture. Meanwhile, Murakumo seems to think that a "Hmph." is more than enough as an answer while Hatsuyuki could only follows with an "Oooh!" and can't follow the other's gesture since her right hand's still resting on Fubuki's shoulder.

With that, the six destroyers begin their journey toward the main island which is not that far from their floating dock. Fubuki and Hatsuyuki is leading the squadron, followed by Miyuki who energetically tails the two ships in front of her. Shirayuki followed the squadron right behind Miyuki with a more calmer footstep but is fast enough to keep a pace with the other three, Murakumo is right behind Shirayuki, she took each of her footsteps as elegantly as she could as she closes her eyes a bit, trying not to care about anything that might happens next. Isonami is the last ship of the squadron's convoy who took small steps which made her left behind several times, she'd starts running when she has to keep her pace with the other.

"Say, from what I see…" Fubuki broke the silent, "you… still pretty much seem to be locked on the past…"

"I was… very close Fubuki… no, too close even to fail that single task I should've done."

"Well if it was about that, I guess no one could've done anything anyway. Right?" Miyuki cut the conversation.

"Actually it was the mistake of the scout teams. I mean, how could they bloody missed that Battleship." Murakumo added.

"Well we can't really blame them either, we… never thought…" Shirayuki said, but she can't finishes her sentence.

"A-anyway, I do think it's best if we don't think of it too much." Isonami tried to finish the topic.

"Isonami's right." Fubuki says, "even if we think about it hard, nothing will change Hatsuyuki…"

"I… I… I know it already…" Hatsuyuki says, "It's just… it's too difficult for me…"

"Girls, look!" Miyuki said, she almost shouted that. It looks like they've reached the pier of the main island.

"Isn't that…" Shirayuki and the other Fubuki could see that Hayabusa is already at the catacomb along with several other admirals.

"We… should wait I guess…" Fubuki says, Miyuki, Shirayuki and Isonami answered with a nod and so the six destroyer decided to find a nearby seat.

As much as they hate it, not every human, including admirals sees "them" as human. Most of those human likes to keep a distance toward the shipgirls. Their reason varies, but some people think of the shipgirls as the reason why the abyssal fleet attacks humanity.

Fubuki decided to sit on the edge of a long white bench right across the hill used as the catacomb of the Seed Raid Accident that happens several years ago. Shirayuki lands herself right beside Hatsuyuki who sat together with Fubuki who supported her body until now. Though the atmosphere didn't meant to be cheerful, Miyuki could still pulls a smile as she dramatically sits next to Shirayuki by jumping backward toward the bench when she's close enough to it, "Phwah finally some seat" she exclaimed as she positions herself closer to Shirayuki to give room for the others. Isonami is the next one who aims to sit right next to Miyuki, she carefully pushes her skirt toward her legs before sitting on the bench, again, carefully. Murakumo decided to uses her Grasscutter Sword to lift her up so that she could sit on the upper line of the bench's back rest right beside Isonami's head since there pretty much no more space left on the bench, "Tsk, plebeian's seat." She said. Isonami tried to offer Murakumo her place to which she quickly replied, "No need, thanks though." While sighing at the end.

"Senior?" A familiar sound could be heard from behind.

"Ah! Inazuma." Shirayuki said, Miyuki's reflex send her flying backward at that name.

"A-ahahaha, I-nazuma… nice to see you…" She says though her face kind of said the otherwise.

"A-ah, Inazuma, good day to you." Isonami said.

"Good day to you all too seniors!" She replied with a salutation, the Fubuki class stood and replied the salute.

"Inazuma!" another voice could be heard from afar, "A-ah! Fubuki Class seniors!" it was Akatsuki who suddenly raised a salutation followed by Verniy behind her.

"Seniors are going to visit your admiral?" Inazuma asked.

"Yes, we were on our way." Fubuki said.

"Hmmmnn senior Hatsuyuki seems… different, are you ok?" Akatsuki asked, but the questioned destroyer didn't spit out a word.

"She… has been sick for a while now…" Fubuki replied

"I see… I wish you a quick recovery then." Akatsuki couldn't think of another response but that.

"Hope you get well soon then senior." Inazuma said.

"Umn… wish you the best." Verniy added.

"What about Commander Shirogane? I heard they are going to give him a prosthetic leg?" Fubuki asked.

"Yes, I've heard about it… but so far, I have yet heard of his surgery anytime soon…" Akatsuki replied. The Fubuki Class ships could only nods to that.

Silence starts to fill the group as the conversation drops to a halt.

"Hey, looks like the other admirals had finished." Hatsuyuki changes the topic, as she took a glance at the catacomb, "Shall we go?"

"Ah, we'll be on our way then!" Akatsuki says before she raised a salute followed by the other Akatsuki.

"We'll see you soon seniors!" Inazuma says before she follows Akatsuki's lead.

"До свидания (do svidanya)" Good bye, Verniy said in Russian.

"See you all soon too!" Fubuki said as she smiles and waves her right hand slowly.

"B-byes…" Miyuki starts staggering her words but she did forced a smile to look friendly toward her juniors.

"See you soon!" Shirayuki says as she waves her hand slowly and smiles toward the Akatsuki, while Isonami didn't said a word but her pure smile and a gentle waves of her right hand pretty much says what she intended to say.

"Hmph, take care." Murakumo smiled a proud smile before she waved her and once.

"We should also start moving too I guess." Shirayuki says, Fubuki nods to that.

"Yes, we shall not leave the base for too long." Fubuki says as she pulls Hatsuyuki to continue their journey followed by the other Fubuki in the same manner of their sitting order.

It took several silent steps for the six destroyers to get to the catacomb's gate. Most of the catacomb that was filled with white uniform has now emptied, leaving only several of them around. But even among those little amount of high ranked officers left, the six destroyers could still felt a malicious atmosphere around them. Fubuki starts to hastening her pace followed by Miyuki who for once, if not counting Inazuma's arrival as one, finally got nervous and could only stares in front of her. Shirayuki is right beside Miyuki, her right hand was entangled with Isonami's both hand. Murakumo's grip on her Grasscutter sword gets tighter as she thread her way behind Isonami. No word was spoken at all, but the grim air is thickening as the six Fubuki Class strolls deeper into the catacomb. Each steps feels a lot more difficult than the previous ones while the air seems like trying to escape from their lung making it hard to be breathed. After several gravestones, they finally got to their destination.

"Commander?" Fubuki said as she came close enough to the gravestone they're going to. Hayabusa turns his head toward Fubuki before he smiled.

"You girls came," he then steps back, "I'll be waiting on the gate."he says as he raised a salute before proceeding to walk through the catacomb, the Fubuki class quickly responded to it.

"So… who goes first?" Miyuki slowly said, she still feels uneasy just about being there.

"Let's get from the ship number shouldn't we?" Shirayuki says, the six destroyers nods in agreement in their own fashion. With that, Fubuki steps forward toward the gravestone… it was quite the same as the other but a distinct symbol and writing appears on it, a Chrysanthemum flower to be precise . As one of the few admirals on the frontline from Japan on the first Seed Raid Operation, it shall comes to no surprise that he'd receive tons of orders and awards from the government, but to get the Chrysanthemum flower badge on his gravestone further claims that he didn't just "be there"

- * FADM * -

-大勲位菊花章 -

-Yukimura Hayabusa-

One of the brave warriors

Of the 1st Seed Raid Accident

On the Atlantic Oceans

Fubuki starts the visit with a prayer followed by the other, she then steps closer before she kneel down and thought, "Commander… you must've missed Hatsuyuki there. Both of you always gone to your world when you're into that… but you know, lately Hatsuyuki's addiction has gone beyond tolerable limit… I wanted to help her… but I guess, in the end it's only you who could stop her… so please, please do help me somehow…" finishing her thoughts, Fubuki stands up and her face was then filled by Shirayuki.

"Commander… it has been two years and 5 months since… all of your dedications to made us stronger might have failed you once… but I'll make sure that we won't let you down again. That said, I think Fubuki might have said this, but I'll just emphasize it, I do think we'll be needing your help with Hatsuyuki…she's… I guess you made her too attached to you, so you'd better take responsibility you know…." Hatsuyuki came after Shirayuki finished, she didn't took her time and finished shortly after, Miyuki came right after her.

"So yea, I'm not really good at this, but, one thing's for sure… we… kind of broken here without you commander… we did, managed to gather our motivation back, but I'm afraid Hatsuyuki still can't get past that one obstacle… you… so, please pray us a way to somehow help that girl." Murakumo gracefully takes Miyuki's place as soon as she sees her leaving.

"Hmph. You… you died too early commander. I know it was not your fault or something, but it makes large hollow on our lives, as I've been saying. Most of us made it so far to overcome that hollow, but it seems our friend Hatsuyuki here still needs help. I do hope you'll help us help her somehow…" Isonami is the last to visit the grave. Of all Fubuki classes that visited the grave, she's the only one who almost shed tear, her eyes are teary but she decided to wipe it before any of her sisters realized it.

"Commander, I've already overcome my sadness and become more reliable for everyone… of course that… doesn't mean I've forgotten about you. I guess we'll never be able to forget you… but lately, Hatsuyuki seems got worsen as time pasts… I think we'll need your clue as to what we should do to cheer her up…" as Isonami finishes her turn, the six destroyers looks at one and another.

"Well," Hatsuyuki's voice broke the silent catacomb, "Shall we go home now?"

"The commander assigned us all to stay here until the Obon finished." Fubuki claimed.

"But, what about the base?"

"Don't worry Hatsuyuki," Shirayuki answered, "Big sis Fusou and Yamashiro is on duty at the moment, so there should be nothing to worry about."

"Well then.." Hatsuyuki decided to squats, "If I may guess though… you girls actually talked about me to commander just now, right?" Hatsuyuki said as she looks toward her fellow Fubuki Class.

Miyuki steps back as she raised her hands as if trying to get to a defensive stance before she made a trembling guilty smile on her face "E-eheh.." she tried to chuckles at the end. Isonami's mouth was quickly opened though she didn't actually say anything. Fubuki's body lean backward but she managed keeps her cool. Shirayuki's only reaction was to glance over toward Hatsuyuki. While Murakumo could care less about it and almost didn't react to Hatsuyuki's word.

"I see…" Hatsuyuki says, "I must've been a burden for you girls lately huh…"

"Wh- no!" Fubuki said, "we're just worrying about your condition! We never did think of you as a burden or something like that, right everyone?"

"Y-yes, just like what Fubuki said!" Isonami said.

"Certainly, there are times when your actions tickles my anger, but I never thought of you as a big burden in my life." Murakumo said.

"Umn! Surely, everyone would thinks you not as a burden, we're all sister ship after all, we completes each others!" Miyuki exclaims with an energetic tone.

"I'll agree with the others too, you will never be a burden Hatsuyuki. Sure, we sometimes have to cover each other's fault and all, but I guess that's what being a sister ship is, especially now that we're in the same team too." Shirayuki says.

"Everyone…" Hatsuyuki didn't know what she should've done in this kind of condition, but she decided that a warm smile would've fit just right. Fubuki smiled back to her so does Isonami and Shirayuki, Miyuki raised her right thumb followed by a widely drawn smile while Murakumo sighed before she shows her, quite rarely seen, widely drawn smile.

It was noon when the admiral return to the catacomb, he was about to call Hatsuyuki out of the group should Fubuki's plan failed. But as he get close enough to the Fubuki class ships, he could tell that the plan was indeed a great success.

"…and I had the chance to shoot all of my torpedoes at her! Baam the torpedoes made her fall on her knees…" Miyuki seems to be telling a story in a very energetic tone.

"You overdone it Miyuki, she's just a beginner, why don't you take it easy on her…" Hatsuyuki lazily said that.

"But she did said that she'd wanted me to be serious on her…" Hatsuyuki leaned her head backward followed with a facepalm after hearing that.

"you… do not know just how far is being serious to a newly recruited member huh…."

"After all, if I didn't do it seriously, they won't possibly had the experience they need for real battle!"

"they got less if they got C." Hatsuyuki's word burst Fubuki, Shirayuki, Isonami and Miyuki into a laughter.

"Ah Commander." Isonami said, all of the Fubuki class quickly turns toward Hayabusa and of course stopped their laughter to raise a salute.

"At ease girls.." at that word the girls lowered down their hands and smiled, "Well, looks like plan succeed?" he said before he smiled, Fubuki nods firmly several times as her eyes sheds some tears unconsciously.

"I never did said I'll stop playing games though." Hatsuyuki said, the other Fubuki quickly strangle every part of her they could hold, "Gahaha, I'm sorry I'm sorry…" and so they spent the rest of the day there, as they wait for the peak of the Obon festival, the Bon Dance (Bon Odori). The Fubuki Class dances with several other destroyers who had survived the Seed Raid Incident. There are not much of them at least not as much as they were when they were sent several years before. Despite those memories, the destroyers seems to be quite in a joy as they dance through the Taiko drum played with the same cheerful melody that rhymes with their smiles. Hatsuyuki is out of the league though, she's sitting on the corner as she could only watches her comrades' cheerful dance. Her body barely made it through the first five minutes of the dance, Hayabusa could see it and he decided that she'd better take a rest. Even though so, her beautiful smiling face tells everyone that she's indeed enjoying the night too.

The midnight firework closes the Bon Festival for today, though, for the destroyers, this is also their last day since they'll begin their work as usual again tomorrow. With that in mind, they ends their Bon festival unofficially. All of the destroyer, followed by few admirals, who voluntarily accompany their destroyers, brings lanterns toward the sea as they returns to their respective naval bases, some of which are floating docks.

Among the flocks of destroyers and admirals were Hayabusa and his Fubuki Class ships. Fubuki and Shirayuki is enjoying the light that was emitted by their lanterns as their smiles widen till it stretched out as far as it could, Murakumo and Isonami was in the back of the convoy while Miyuki happily leads the convoy. Hatsuyuki herself was aboard Admiral's yacht on the seat right next to Hayabusa who is steering the ship.

"Commander…" Hatsuyuki says, "I… think I owe you an apology."

"Aah? What for?"

"Commander Yukimura… I was.."

"If anyone owes an apology for that, that'd be those abyssal bastards." Hayabusa frimly says, it sounds kind of different than his usual relaxed tone, he stressed out the word abyssal when he said it, "Ah, sorry, I got carried away I guess." He apologize, "but as I've said on the first day of your service under my command, no one's to be blamed that day… "

"Thanks admiral."

"No, I should be the one who thanks you for what you've done to my son up until his last moments."

"I… couldn't have possibly done anything to be thanked…."

"Whether you realized it or not, you did changed him to his better self. You and the rest of the Fubuki Class, they changed his world and you should know that you're one of the most influential one that shapes this new world of his."

"H-how did you know? D-don't say you actually stalks Commander Yukimura?!"

"Wh-..what? No, of course not… it's that thing he managed to bought before the raid… remember? He told me to give it to you…"

"I… I was just joking…" Hatsuyuki smiled, but her smile soon fades as she continues her words, "but, commander, do you think I'd really fit using that ring? I meant, I failed to properly safe him and all after all…"

"You do remember that it is his effort that protected you to his own death that causes all of this now, didn't you? So I think you'd be more than excellently fit…"

"I…" Hayabusa released one of his hand off the wheel to pat Hatsuyuki's head. With that, the Fubuki Class and Hayabusa returns to their base.


End file.
